On my way to work yesterday the truck was running prime. After driving for about 10 minutes, i stabbed the gas to pass someone and the truck started missing and back firing. I almost made it to work and it was missing and stumbling really bad, thats when i noticed the burnt wiring smell. Smoke was pouring from the steering column.Ignition switch?

_________________
Drive it like its stolen, and be glad im not YOUR son...

Probably a plastic connector in the harness telling you it wants replaced.

_________________
Official Cookie and Mater Tormentor.

quote "Drive it like its stolen"

you know, hotwiring will do it every time

And... be glad you're not my son

_________________
Juan Ignacio Caino

Please use e-mail button istead of PM'ing. I do log in sometimes but I'll be answering quicker thru e-mail.

Did you drum on the steering wheel to your favorite drum solo as you mashed the pedal (as I do)? This will cause it everytime.

Seriously though, I do not see having a meltdown just by mashing the gas unless their was something wrong, perhaps, with the voltage regulator. After you repair the damage (which may actually be the ignition switch) I would just do a check on the old charging system to make sure it is not throwing out too much voltage when the rpm's come up.
I could be wrong, of course, but the only other thing that would cause this is (as said above) a faulty connector making ground. In this case, it would just be a coincidence that it happened to make ground as you stomped the accelerator.

Russ

_________________
1968 Valiant 100 4 door 225/6

Yeah, i was listening to hokus pokus, by focus so the drum solo deal is quite possible. I looked into it further yesterday, took off the steering wheel but couldnt get off one part of the column that holds the turn indicator and hazard stuff, so i couldnt look at the ignition switch. I found a part of the wiring harness where it comes off the firewall from a metal clip. Right after the clip theres a good 3 inch section of wires that are totally roasted together. So im not sure if the clip rubbed through the harness or thats the middle of the two ends of the harness and tried to light up like a light bulb. I did hook up my tach that morning, i wonder if that had anything to do with it. Any other ideas?

_________________
Drive it like its stolen, and be glad im not YOUR son...

Yah-ha-yay, yah-ha-yay, yah-ha-yay-yah
BOMP BOMP!

<sizzle....>

_________________

Have you made any progress? It sounds to me like the metal clip was the culprit, without looking at it of course. Where did you hook the tach wiring up to?

Russ

P.S. I actually had a copy of Hocus Pocus on 8-track!

_________________
1968 Valiant 100 4 door 225/6

8-track? what the hell is that?

_________________
My Dart
GO VOLS!
It's not rocket science, we're just splitting atoms.

Dude im 18 and i drive an old dodge truck while listening to hokus pokus...I bet your 8 track would be worth some cash though. The tach went green to coil, black to ground(obviously), red to constant battery source ( through the fuse box) and white went to dash illumination.

_________________
Drive it like its stolen, and be glad im not YOUR son...

Sounds like you hooked up the tach properly. It also sounds like this was just a freak thing just associated with age and wear. I think that changing that bulkhead connector should get you on track. Of course, do go ahead and check that ignition switch anyway since you went throught the trouble of taking the column apart already. Good luck!

Russ

BTW- I forgot to mention that I got my horn stuck once by drumming along to Cream's "Toad". Ginger Baker is awesome.

_________________
1968 Valiant 100 4 door 225/6

How is Ginger Baker like a cup of coffee? They both suck without cream. Seriously though, Cream always has been one of my favorite groups since I discovered their 'best of' cd in 6th grade. I'm So Glad it's been the cause of many a steering wheel thumping session.

_________________
Used to own:
'82 Dodge D150
Erson 270 Cam, O/S valves, mild port work, ~9.5:1 compression

Currently fighting with an '85 VW Cabriolet

My other passion

LMAO! Good One. I saw Ginger Baker recently, in the city, and despite the fact that he is a lot older and his career didn't blast off like Eric Clapton's (after Cream) he is still an excellent drummer.

Ahhh...that and Deep Purple's Highway Star are my favorite highway songs. I also drum along to my slant six's mechanical tappets.

Russ

_________________
1968 Valiant 100 4 door 225/6